The Out-of-Doors & Learning

1. The Out-of-Doors & Learning

2. What is the nature of our society? • What are our goals? • What are the consequences for children & for our society if play & learning out-of-doors do not occur? Important Questions to Ask

3. Nature of Society • Characteristics of our culture • cooperative/competitive • collaborative/individualistic • prosocial/egotistical • autonomous/complianct • initiative/guilt • industry/inferiority

4. Societal Goals • To realize individual & group potential • To support the common good. • To be active citizens in a democracy.

5. Why are Outdoor Learning & Play Important? • The insightful educator recognizes the critical importance of play & assumes the responsibility to plan for children's quality play. • Outdoor activities provide unique learning which are different from traditional indoor activities.

6. Questions to Ask • What is play? • What is learning? • What is the outdoor classroom?

7. A significant part of learning. • An essential part of family & community life. • Children need opportunities at leisure. • Association for the Child’s Right to Play • International Play Association, www.ipausa.org What About Play?

8. Transcendental Play • Transcendental play characterized by risk, obsession, ecstasy & intense mental states. • What kind of environment creates a context for such animated triumphant play? Frost, 2004

9. Play Environments • Plan for built & natural spaces. • Complex play spaces provide multiple choices. • Varied textures & materials available for exploration. • Small, large, & individual grouping occur naturally. • Provide private & public space. • Provide for a range of ability & interest.

10. What Happens During Play? • During play the child: • Interacts with others. • Interacts with the physical world.

11. What Does Brain Research Say? Play creates neurological connections necessary for learning.

12. Intrinsically motivated Freely chosen Process not product Enjoyable Defining Quality Play • Non-literal

13. What Does This Mean? • Children control play activity. • Adults do not define terms. • Adults provide time, opportunity, & material. • Outdoor play is different from indoor play. • Children experience unique learning alternatives.

14. Outdoor Play & Hands-On Learning • Children engage the physical, animal & human world in different ways than accomplished indoors. • Children observe the outdoors. • Children become part of the environment.

15. Physical • Social • Emotional • Cognitive Four Kinds of Play

16. Play is Physical • Contributes to fine & gross learning. • Active physical play helps joint & muscular disabilities. • Outdoors provides new situations & people to engage. • Allows children to test skills without risk.

17. Styles of Social Play • Parten’s (1932) six styles of social play move from least to most social maturity. • Not levels because children move back & forth through styles. Iasenberg & Jalongo, 2001

18. Do You Observe Styles of Social Maturity in Play? • Unoccupied: not engaged, goal not evident. • Onlooker: observes, asks questions, talks with, does not engage in play activity. Continued on next slide

19. Observed Styles of Social Maturity in Play • Solitary: independent players; use own toys. • Parallel: plays alongside or nearby; not with others. • Cooperative: Complex organization; shared goals. Paarten 1932, Isenberg & Jalongo 2001

20. Do You See the Styles? • Outdoor playscapes provide additional opportunities for children to initiate & engage in a range of social maturity. • Children need various opportunities to practice where they choose to be cooperative & where they prefer to be solitary players.

21. Play Is Emotional • Enhance self-esteem. • Promote self-concept. • Risk free, new experiences. • Test Individual strengths.

22. Play is Cognitive • Children make sense of the world. • Solve relevant problems. • Express thoughts. • Interpret & plan action. • Use language.

23. What is Needed for Play? • Time • Opportunity • Materials

24. Play Out-of-Doors • The out-of-doors environment provides a broad range of opportunities uniquely different from traditional indoor play activities. • Consider the different materials, opportunities & people.

25. About Time • At least 30-50 minutes needed for quality play. • Time to explore different materials & people before play begins. • First, the child explores the object to determine “What does this object do?” Then, the play begins when the child asks, “What can I do with this object?”

26. About Opportunity • Outdoor play is not a privilege earned after the “real work” of school is complete. • Outdoor play holds legitimacy for children’s learning. • Provide both guided & free play.

27. Guided & Free Play • Both are important. • Guided play relates to theme/curriculum objectives. • Free play chosen by child.

28. Guided Play • Art- sketches of bird habitats. • Constructive- replicate animal habitats. • Role play- bears in cave. • Language Arts- poems associated with theme. • Science- record pond data.

29. Free Play • Role play- NASCAR • Constructive- sand, water, dirt • Art- sculptures (snow, sand, stones) • Gross motor- running, ball toss • Science- sand castles, finger paint

30. About Materials • Use both man-made & natural. • Provide a broad range. • Allow innovative use.

31. Intellectual Academic Social Emotional Physical What About Learning?

32. Learning Outdoors • The out-of-doors becomes the integrating context for learning. • Do not necessarily focus learning about the environment, or limit to environmental awareness. Smith-Walters, 2004

33. Types of Learning • Formal- curriculum / objectives • Informal- parks, community, project work, play

34. Indoor & Outdoor Classrooms • The two build & extend from one another. • Both hold value for children’s learning.

35. What About the Outdoor Classroom? • Breaks down traditional boundaries between disciplines. • Provides hands-on learning experiences. • Allow students with a variety of learning styles & backgrounds to experience success. • Fosters students’ skill & ability. Smith-Walters, In Press

36. Children in the out-of-doors freely interact. Curriculum objectives are met in innovative ways.

37. The OutdoorClassroom • What is it? • What does it look like? • Who can use it? • Where is it? • What do you do? • Why bother?

38. What Is It? • Schoolyard • Neighborhood • Community • Park

39. What Does it Look Like? • Simple & not expensive: • A window • A birdhouse • A picnic table • A field

40. Who Can Use It? • Anyone who plans ahead. • Urban, rural, or suburban can participate. • Indoors used to plan & follow up.

41. Who Teaches Out Doors? • Teachers • Community Members • Parents

42. Where Is The Outdoor Classroom? • Anywhere/everywhere • Simple • Inexpensive

43. The outdoor classroom can begin with a single birdhouse. In time, a bird habitat can develop. Children observe, make notes, sketch, do research, & take pictures.

44. What Do You Do? • Observe a bird feeding station. • Plant a windowsill garden. • Draw at a picnic table. • Read at a gazebo. • Measure pathways. • Play at the playground. • Build a pond.

45. Limited outdoor space is effective to introduce children to the outdoor classroom. Before they appreciate the out-of-doors as a distinct environment, children need numerous structured & unstructured outdoor experiences.

46. What To Do? • Plan regular intimate time outside. • Use indoors to plan & follow up. • Allow transition times. • Examine your playscapes.

47. Benefits of the Outdoor Classroom • Promotes student performance. • Improves standardized test scores. • Improves grade point average. • Increases willingness to stay on task. continued….

48. Benefits Continued • Greater adaptability to various learning styles. • Promotes problem solving & conflict resolution opportunities. • Provides for social, emotional, & cognitive development. • Promotes physical development. Smith-Walters, In Press

49. Why Bother? • Healthiest & richest forms of play • Transcendental play • Relevant exploration of world Joe Frost, 2004

50. What Do Children Do in the Outdoor Classroom? • Use different communicative skills. • Interact with non-school personnel. • Engage real problem-solving. • Use different equipment, instruments, & tools.